My life should be slower…calmer…definitely less stressful. My Three Sons are grown and gone. There are no school activities to rush to, no lunches to pack, clothes to pick out (or up) and backpacks to trip over. That part of my life is, sadly, finished.

But still I hurry.

My head spins with deadlines, commitments and obligations. I don’t seem to be able to organize or prioritize like I once did when I was younger.

But still I hurry.

I have tasks. I travel most weekends, Thursdays to Mondays usually, around the Midwest and even around the world sharing the ministry of Revival By Design and teaching and training leadership. (Check out our upcoming Faith Journey trip to the country of Malta!)

Jobs, duties, chores and responsibilities all keep me overwhelmed and yet my life is simple compared to many of yours. You may be experiencing an empty nest like me and have had your life roles and goals adjusted somewhat.

Yes, you still hurry…

You are busy wiping noses, cleaning up spills, chasing the dog, the cat, the rabbit, and the hamster around the house. You work full time (and then some), whether you are mom or dad, and you also have a house to clean, bills to pay, laundry to fold, meals to fix and endless questions to answer and decisions to make.

Jesus had a job too. (Grasp that! Jesus had a job!!) The Bible says Jesus was a carpenter by trade. “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon?” Mark 6:3.

The Greek word here is tektōn (τέκτων), which means builder. He could have been a carpenter, as we think of one today, but because of the region and resources around Him, most everything was built from stone. He very well could have been taught the trade of a stonemason. We just know He, like His father, was a builder, a craftsman.

He would have begun to learn His father’s trade by the age of 12, according to Jewish custom. The future Savior of the world knew what it meant to sweat, to labor, to work and most likely to get paid! He didn’t lay down His life until He was 33 years old and His earthly ministry was brief. It is reasonable to assume He had a job and earned a living, even if it was from His own father. Did you ever think that about Jesus having a job?

Even though His trade is mentioned in scripture, it is never mentioned by Jesus.

Of course we can assume He was entirely too busy healing the sick, raising the dead and revealing Himself as Messiah to stop and build someone a fireplace. The disciples had all walked away from their livelihood and so did the Savior.

Jesus was more concerned with people. He didn’t say that everyday living was not important; He just emphasized what was MOST important.

“One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, ‘What commandment is the foremost of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH…’” Mark 12:28-29.

He is first. He is also the last. We know He is everything in between! His Word declares Him to be our all in all. “Jesus said unto them, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.’” John 8:58.

“Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” Colossians 3:11 NIV.

What did He say was the second greatest commandment? “The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:31.

Love your neighbor (that doesn’t just mean those that live on your cul-de-sac) as you love yourself. There is no greater commandment!

“Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another…” Romans 12:10

This is the only place this verb, preferring, appears and it means to go before as a guide. Honor is the honor due from each to all. “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3 NLT.

Jesus did that too. He took time for others, He preferred them, showed them the way and yet He didn’t belittle them and He didn’t ignore them. He didn’t go around doing good to elevate His ego; He valued others over the things He had to accomplish in His short time on earth…they WERE His agenda, His purpose, His reason for living!

• Am I too busy for the one sitting next to me on the bus that is grieving a loss?
• Am I too preoccupied with my household chores to stop and give a kind word to my neighbor who might be going through a divorce?

Will there ever be a day that we will no longer hear, “If there’s anything I can do, you just call me.”?

Can we reverse that tradition and just DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?

I think I become most frustrated at myself and others when I hear those familiar phrases, or God forbid, it comes out of my mouth. (And yes, it has, I am guilty too!) But it is past time that we, as the Church, as the Body of Christ stopped waiting to be asked and just do what needs to be done.

• Love our neighbor.

• Heal the hurting with that love.

• Fix a meal without waiting on the one that is in need to call us. (They won’t btw.)

• Babysit for that exasperated single mother.

• Sit with the elderly for an hour or two.

• Send flowers.

• Pick flowers!

• Wash a busy dad’s car.

• Walk a widow’s dog!

• Send a card, a real card. (Nothing wrong with emails and cyber notes either but do you remember what it feels like to get snail mail?)

• And finally, definitely my worst fault and trait which all of those that know me best can attest to…pick up the phone. Yes, even if it means hearing the same thing over and over again for an hour. It’s just an hour but it is the highlight of their day, week, month…

Where is your hurried heart? Can you slow down long enough to encourage, and in turn lift your own spirits by spreading the love of Christ? The mission of the Church is to share the Gospel and one of the best ways to do that is to show His love in our actions and words. He says when we have done it unto the least of those then we have also done it unto Him.

God help our hurried hearts to take time to love like Jesus.

What are some ways you feel we could make a difference in the lives of those we come in contact with every day?

The Daniel Fast is still going strong into March! You can get this great devotional, good for ANY FAST, a great companion when you are fasting. Devotions for 21 days and three extra preparation days! Available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle.

 

 

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